Karmen V1 by Guillem March

Europe Comics

Pub Date 17 Jun 2020   

Description

This is a graphic novel about death and suicide… but not in the way you think. It’s about death that can be reversable, when and if the right angels are looking. The dead person here is Catalina, a self-absorbed student who kills herself out of heartbreak. The angel is Karmen, an angel of the facetious, unusual sort. Her capacity for empathy is so great that she leads “her” dead on a journey toward redemption and, believe it or not, back to life! Full of surprises, metaphysics, and beautiful women, this graphic novel is tender and not devoid of humor.

Review

Last year I sent travelling around Spain for a month. The architecture around Andalusia left a lasting impression on me. It is one of the first things that struck me about Karmen is that the book has a powerful sense of place. This story unmistakably takes place in Spain. Also, for a story that explores the themes of suicide, regret, and, relationships, it is not dour. It treats these themes with the seriousness that they deserve with becoming maudlin or mawkish.

The art is splendid. I particularly enjoyed the colouring, which plays with a palette that gives the pages a subtle otherworldly ambience. Karmen takes place in a lived-in world. Mallorca where the story takes place wonderfully presented here. The characters designs are also notable for the bold choices March makes. For a comic where one of the leads is mostly naked, it rarely seems voyeuristic. Indeed the nakedness is a rather blunt metaphor for the character’s vulnerability. However, any comic which prominently features naked woman is open to accusations of the male gaze. Yet most the panels are composed in a way that I think manages to avoid this.

Catalina is a rather unlikeable character. I felt relatively little sympathy for her and did not understand her reasons for taking her own life. It isn’t easy to enjoy a book where you don’t enjoy spending time with one of the leads. This is made up for with Karmen who is reminiscent of Death of the Endless from Sandman by Neil Gaiman. Karmen is playful, almost mischievous as she guides Catalina into the afterlife. Karmen gives Catalina a chance to see the world and the life she had through a different lens. I think the book is about how we can empower ourselves to make better decisions. Part It’s a Wonderful Life, and part Kore-eda’s After Life Karmen is a comic that is a skilfully accomplished character study that blends the fantastic with the mundane.

I enjoyed Karmen a great deal; however, the nudity and themes explored might make it unsuitable for some readers who might consider it exploitative and excessive. I can understand this argument to a point.

Some of the panels in Karmen are exquisitely composed, giving real weight to the story where relatively little actually happens. This is a book about accepting the consequences of your actions and dealing with the aftermath. The importance of conversations and what is and is not said to those we hold close. The final conversation between Catalina and Karmen is especially powerful. There is a sense of wonder and tragedy that runs through the book. Dan Christensen did a commendable job with the translation. This is an outstanding comic that I hope finds a broader audience.